NVAEasyJEE 2024Alternating Current Basics

JEE Physics 2024 Question with Solution

An alternating voltage V(t)=220sin100tV(t) = 220 \sin 100t volt is applied to a purely resistive load of 50Ω50\Omega. The time taken for the current to rise from half of the peak value to the peak value is:

Answer

Correct answer:3.33

Step-by-step solution

Standard Method

Given: V(t)=220sin(100πt)V(t) = 220 \sin(100\pi t) and the load is purely resistive with R=50ΩR = 50\,\Omega.

Find: The time taken for current to rise from half of its peak value to its peak value.

For a purely resistive circuit, current is in phase with voltage, so

I(t)=V(t)R=220sin(100πt)50=4.4sin(100πt)I(t) = \frac{V(t)}{R} = \frac{220\sin(100\pi t)}{50} = 4.4\sin(100\pi t)

Hence, the peak current is Ipeak=4.4AI_{\text{peak}} = 4.4\,\text{A}.

When the current is half of the peak value,

I(t1)=Ipeak2I(t_1) = \frac{I_{\text{peak}}}{2}

So,

4.4sin(100πt1)=2.24.4\sin(100\pi t_1) = 2.2 sin(100πt1)=12\sin(100\pi t_1) = \frac{1}{2}

For the rising part of the first quadrant,

100πt1=π6100\pi t_1 = \frac{\pi}{6} t1=1600st_1 = \frac{1}{600}\,\text{s}

When the current reaches peak value,

I(t2)=IpeakI(t_2) = I_{\text{peak}}

So,

4.4sin(100πt2)=4.44.4\sin(100\pi t_2) = 4.4 sin(100πt2)=1\sin(100\pi t_2) = 1

Thus,

100πt2=π2100\pi t_2 = \frac{\pi}{2} t2=1200st_2 = \frac{1}{200}\,\text{s}

Therefore, the required time interval is

Δt=t2t1=12001600=1300s\Delta t = t_2 - t_1 = \frac{1}{200} - \frac{1}{600} = \frac{1}{300}\,\text{s} Δt=3.33ms\Delta t = 3.33\,\text{ms}

Therefore, the time taken is 3.33ms3.33\,\text{ms}.

Phase Difference Method

Given: V(t)=220sin(100πt)V(t) = 220\sin(100\pi t), so the angular frequency is ω=100πrad/s\omega = 100\pi\,\text{rad/s}.

Find: The time interval for current to increase from 12Ipeak\frac{1}{2}I_{\text{peak}} to IpeakI_{\text{peak}}.

In a purely resistive AC circuit, current and voltage are in phase. Therefore, it is enough to track the sine function.

For a sine wave:

  • sinθ=12\sin\theta = \frac{1}{2} at θ=π6\theta = \frac{\pi}{6} in the rising first quadrant.
  • sinθ=1\sin\theta = 1 at θ=π2\theta = \frac{\pi}{2}.

So the required phase change is

Δθ=π2π6=π3\Delta \theta = \frac{\pi}{2} - \frac{\pi}{6} = \frac{\pi}{3}

Using Δt=Δθω\Delta t = \frac{\Delta \theta}{\omega},

Δt=π/3100π=1300s\Delta t = \frac{\pi/3}{100\pi} = \frac{1}{300}\,\text{s}

Converting into milliseconds,

Δt=1000300ms=3.33ms\Delta t = \frac{1000}{300}\,\text{ms} = 3.33\,\text{ms}

So, the required time interval is 3.33ms3.33\,\text{ms}.

The solution also contains a discrepancy: one approach writes t=π/6ωt = \frac{\pi/6}{\omega} directly as the required interval, but the detailed working correctly computes the interval as the difference between the two instants, giving 1300s\frac{1}{300}\,\text{s}.

Common mistakes

  • Using the instant when the current becomes half of the peak value as the final answer. That gives t1=1600st_1 = \frac{1}{600}\,\text{s}, which is only the first time instant, not the interval up to the peak. You must calculate Δt=t2t1\Delta t = t_2 - t_1.

  • Ignoring that the circuit is purely resistive. In a resistive AC circuit, current and voltage are in phase, so both reach half-peak and peak at the same phase angles. Do not introduce any phase shift.

  • Taking the wrong sine angle for the rising part. Although sinθ=12\sin\theta = \frac{1}{2} also at 5π6\frac{5\pi}{6}, that corresponds to the falling part of the cycle. For a rising current, use θ=π6\theta = \frac{\pi}{6}.

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